


Aftermath

by ArethusaRay



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Anxiety, Body Image, Developing Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Fame, Hand Jobs, Love, M/M, Oral Sex, Romance, Rough Sex, Scars, Self Confidence Issues, Sex, Shower Sex, Tattoos, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000, celebrity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-13
Updated: 2013-09-13
Packaged: 2017-12-25 22:48:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/958496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArethusaRay/pseuds/ArethusaRay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newt and Hermann slept together the night of the final battle, but Hermann doesn't believe Newt actually cares for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> This is a direct sequel to "The Drift is Silence."

Newt awoke alone with a terrible hangover. At first he was certain that the previous evening's events had all been a dream, but this was definitely not his bed. He thought about finding his clothes and starting the day, but there was no rush. For the first time in years there was no rush. He closed his eyes and stretched his arms above his head. 

"Honestly, Newton, are you going to lounge in bed _all_ day?"

Newt opened his eyes. Hermann scowled down at him, freshly showered and fully dressed, of course. Newt felt a little disappointed. He would've liked to join him in that shower. He grinned up at Hermann. "Good morning, Hermann. Sleep well?"

"I slept fine, thank you." Hermann leaned on his cane and sighed impatiently.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting up." He stood and cracked his back. He smiled to himself as Hermann politely turned to avoid his nudity. Newt walked up behind him and kissed his neck. "I'm going to take a shower." He headed for the bathroom. 

"Where are you going?"

Newt paused, confused. "Um, shower?"

"Is there something wrong with your own shower?"

"Yeah. It's down the hall and I'm naked."

Hermann rolled his eyes. "Fine, but please clean up after yourself and put things back where you found them. And do not use my toothbrush. I should have a spare one in the medicine cabinet, use that if you must."

"Hermann, I'm just going to take a shower, not dissect a kaiju. Relax." Images from the previous night splashed through his brain. He felt his cock twitch. He slipped into the bathroom before Hermann noticed.

***

While Newton showered, Hermann stripped the bed, folded the sheets and blanket into his hamper, and remade the bed with a fresh set from the linen closet. He picked up his and Newton's clothes off of the floor. He folded his into the hamper and he neatly stacked Newton's on the bed. He reconsidered this decision, given how soiled they were, and relocated them to his desk chair. With two dainty fingertips, he picked up the discarded condom wrapper and the used condom that Newton had simply knotted and tossed aside and threw them in the garbage. He shuddered. He'd never been in Newton's quarters before and now he was not sure he ever wanted to. 

He realized that there were no clean towels in the bathroom. As he turned to fetch one, Newton stepped out of the bathroom and dripped water on the floor, with the towel Hermann had used earlier wrapped around his waist. 

He wanted to be upset- using someone else's towel was simply unsanitary- but the sight of Newton's wet, bare chest made him go weak in the knees. He leaned heavily on his cane.

"Your shower is way better than mine, dude. That water pressure is insane."

"Perhaps it is because I clean my nozzles."

"Is that a euphemism, Hermann?"

He blushed. "You should get dressed before they run out of food in the cafeteria. I set your clothes there, but I think perhaps you should burn them. They're rather ripe." 

Newton just laughed. "They're not _that_ bad." He picked up his shirt and pulled a face. "Okay. Yeah. That's a little crusty. Ew." He dropped the shirt. "I'm just going to get some clean clothes, then we can eat, cool?"

Hermann scowled. "Take those with you."

Newton scooped up the dirty clothes. "I'll be right back with your towel."

***

Newt dressed in tight jeans and an AC/DC t-shirt, threw Hermann's wet towel over his shoulder and walked back. Hermann hung the towel on the rack and they walked toward the cafeteria. Newt purposely walked on Hermann's left side so he could hold his free hand but Hermann kept it shoved in his pocket. 

They got their food and sat at their usual out-of-the-way table- Hermann was anti-social and Newt usually smelled like kaiju innards, so they often had the table to themselves. People turned to look at them and whispered behind their hands. Hermann turned bright red, probably assuming they were talking about their tryst last night. Newt grinned and waved.

"Don't encourage rumors, Newton," Hermann muttered under his breath.

"What rumors?" Newt asked, a mock-innocent expression on his face.

"Don't be naive!" He shut up quickly as Raleigh Becket sat down at their table.

"How's it going, heroes?" Raleigh asked.

Hermann and Newt frowned at him. "What do you mean?" Hermann asked at the same time Newt asked, "Heros?"

"It's all over the news! You boys are famous. Good luck." He stood, clapped Newt on the back, and left them sitting there in confusion.

"Dude, come on! Forget breakfast, let's go look this up!" He grabbed Hermann's tray without waiting for a response and headed toward his room.

Hermann sighed, then stood and limped after him.

***

". . . But the real heroes are scientists, Dr. Newton Geiszler and Dr. Hermann Gottlieb," a newscaster said from Newton's computer in Newton's spectacularly messy room. The video flashed photos, one of Newton at some house party where he showed off his tattoos with a beer in his hand, and one of Hermann looking funereal in graduate school. 

Newton pointed at the screen. "Hey! They used my Facebook profile picture! How cool is that?"

"It's not a very professional photograph," Hermann mumbled, but his heart wasn't in the criticism. He was concerned by the newscaster's interest in them. The program repeatedly called them "heroes" and "the scientists who saved the world." Hermann much preferred anonymity. 

Newton was far too enchanted with the clip to notice the knocking at the door, so Hermann answered it. Mr. Choi seemed slightly surprised to see him in Newton's quarters, which caused Hermann to blush yet again, but Mr. Choi said only, "Dr. Gottlieb, good, you're here. There's a reporter asking for you and Newt. She's with Raleigh and Mako now, but she wants to interview you both about yesterday's events."

"Tell her thank you, but no, we have no desire to be interviewed," Hermann responded.

"What?" Newton yelped. "He's joking. You're joking, right, Hermann? Of course we want to be interviewed! Have her meet us in the lab."

Mr. Choi nodded and shut the door without another word.

Hermann glared at the closed door, unable to face Newton. "I do not wish to be thrust into the public eye. I prefer to maintain my privacy."

Newton wrapped his arms around Hermann's waist and planted an open-mouthed kiss to the back of his neck. "Don't be such a curmudgeon. It'll be fun!"

Hermann grumbled a noncommittal reply. 

"Great! Let's head down there and get the place ready. You can show off your fancy chalkboard. I bet she'll like that."

Hermann tried to suppress a small smile, but of course Newton caught him. He followed the giddy man out the door and down to their laboratory. 

***

The lab was in the state they had left it in, which shouldn't have been a surprise but still startled Newt. He'd made a giant mess yesterday ( _Was it really only yesterday?_ ) when he ripped apart equipment and used it to drift with the kaiju brain specimen. Wires and large scraps of metal littered the floor. The brain in the tank had begun decomposition and even Newt, who had an impressive tolerance for such things, had to admit it smelled pretty awful. He kicked the detritus to one side of the room and threw a tarp over the brain tank. He glanced at Hermann, who was bent over his computer, no doubt prepping simulations that the reporter might find titillating, at least in Hermann's opinion.

Newt slid the lab door shut, walked over to the computer and spun Hermann's chair around to face him. He straddled him, careful to support his own weight and not hurt Hermann's bad leg, and kissed him deeply. Hermann hesitated briefly before returning the gesture. Newt pulled his face back slightly. "Are you ready to be a rockstar, Dr. Gottlieb?"

Hermann's eyes flicked down to Newt's shirt. " _You_ are certainly dressed the part."

"Do you think I should go change?"

"You do not look _remotely_ professional."

There was a knock at the door. "Well, too late now!" Newt stood and walked over to answer the door. Without looking, he knew that Hermann stood and straightened his sweater vest. He smiled.

The reporter, a well put together American woman in her early 40s, immediately extended her hand. "Dr. Geiszler, I'm Sue Armstrong. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice."

Newt shook her hand. "No problem. And, please, call me Newt. Only my mother calls me 'doctor.'"

She laughed politely. "May I come in?"

Newt directed her to his empty desk chair, but she didn't sit. Instead, she offered her hand to Hermann and opened her mouth to introduce herself.

Newt couldn't resist cutting her off. "Sue, meet Hermann, the Alfred to my Batman."

They both ignored him, although Sue did so more successfully than Hermann, whose shoulders visibly stiffened. 

"Dr. Gottlieb, I'm Sue Armstrong. It is an honor to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Armstrong." Hermann smiled. "Won't you please have a seat?"

She returned his smile and took the proffered seat. Hermann sat opposite her in his own desk chair while Newt perched next to Hermann on the edge of his desk, arms crossed in front of his chest. Sue reached into her bag and pulled out a recorder, nicer than Newt's, pushed 'record' and set it on her armrest. She then pulled out a pen and notebook, turned to a blank page, and got down to business. "Newt, how did you learn that it was possible to drift with the kaiju?"

"Well, Sue, I noticed several genetic similarities between kaiju samples taken several years apart, almost as if the kaiju were clones. Well, it turns out I was almost right. They are all grown from the same genetic material. This is probably why they have a hive mind, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

"I thought that it'd be really helpful to know why the kaiju were attacking us. We're able to drift with other humans, so I thought, why couldn't I drift with a kaiju? No one really believed it was possible so I couldn't get access to the equipment, but I managed to build my own working neural bridge out of scraps. Then I got ahold of a piece of kaiju brain in that jar behind you, sorry about the smell, by the way, and I just did it."

"Wait, you, by yourself, drifted with a piece of kaiju brain with a neural bridge constructed out of garbage?"

"Yeah, and it totally worked." Hermann groaned and rolled his eyes. Newt glanced at him and shrugged, then turned back to Sue. "Well, it almost killed me, but the drift totally worked. I told Pentecost what I'd learned that they were here to wipe us out and the whole hive mind thing- and he told me I had to do it again. So I found a fresh brain on the black market, from the fetal kaiju downtown, and then Hermann and I drifted with it together. To share the neural load so I didn't die."

She raised her pristinely drawn eyebrows. "And that's when you discovered that Dr. Gottlieb's plan to drop a thermonuclear bomb wasn't going to work?"

"Yeah. So we came back here to the Shatterdome and devised a new plan and that totally worked. We lost a lot of good rangers, but Raleigh and Mako made it through to the Antiverse, detonated the bomb, and made it back."

"So, you could say that humanity has you to thank for their safety?"

Newt grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. "I guess you could say that."

Hermann cleared his throat. "It was a team effort. Not only Dr. Geiszler, Ms. Mori, Mr. Becket, and myself, but also Mr. Herc Hansen, Mr. Chuck Hansen, Mr. and Mrs. Kaidanovsky, the Wei Tang triplets, and Marshal Pentecost, as well as Mr. Choi in the control room and every single person working here. We didn't 'lose some good rangers;' they were heroes who sacrificed themselves for our freedom."

Sue nodded, her expression solemn. Then she turned back to Newt. "What did you feel when you drifted with the kaiju? Were you scared?"

Newt leaned forward. "I'll tell ya, Sue, it was pretty awesome. Hermann and I are the only two people in the whole world to ever drift with an alien life form, and I've done it twice."

Hermann groaned loudly. "It was _terrifying_."

"It wasn't _terrifying_."

" _Terrifying_. You nearly killed yourself alone and we didn't fare much better together."

"You're being melodramatic."

"You're just trying to make yourself sound 'cool.'"

They built themselves up to screaming and the reporter loved it. "You guys are great!" she said over them. "The world is going to eat this up! Everyone's going to want to talk to you." She shut off her recorder, shook their hands, thanked them, and left. 

Hermann looked longingly after her. "I didn't get to show her my math."

Newt draped his arm around Hermann's shoulders. "You'll get the opportunity, my friend." 

***

The next couple weeks became a whirlwind of activity. Herc Hansen stepped in to fill Pentecost's vacant position. He ordered Hermann to _make certain_ that the kaiju could not reopen the breach. Newton, meanwhile, took one of many offered publishing contracts to write a book on kaiju biology. 

In addition to their legitimate and rather time-consuming work, they began a tour circuit. They flew around the world with Ms. Mori, Mr. Becket, Marshal Hansen, and Mr. Choi and interviewed with every major news outlet. He and Newton were exclusively requested as a duo. It baffled him as to why, when there were perfectly valid matters to discuss, the media only to want to see them bicker. Their questions seemed designed to provoke a contentious response. Newton adored the fame and was quick to give them whatever they wanted. 

Soon, to his endless shock, he and Newton became sought-after guests, followed by Ms. Mori and Mr. Becket (who were asked to play up the "true love" angle). Mr. Choi and Marshal Hansen got to go home early, which seemed quite a relief to Marshal Hansen who was doubtless fed up with being asked to relive his son's death for every camera and recorder. 

Hermann avoided Newton as much as possible. He was grateful that one of the perks of being so-called heroes was separate accommodations, even in the overpopulated relocation zones. It wasn't that he hadn't enjoyed his night with Newton- he had, emphatically- but he couldn't guess what Newton thought of the whole adventure. He certainly wasn't going to ask him, either. After all, Newton had been drunk that night, but Hermann had been completely sober. And what did that say about him? It said that his desires were such that he would take advantage of his friend. 

It seemed unlikely that Newton regarded him as anything more than an annoyingly cranky eccentricity. 

He managed to shirk the topic altogether until their interview in Berlin. The man conducting the interview was well known for being staunchly and outspokenly anti-jaeger. He behaved as if this interview was beneath him. 

Newton requested a translator because his German was woefully rusty. He first asked Hermann to do the bulk of the interview and translate for him when necessary, but Hermann balked. 

Now, as Hermann sat on the uncomfortable studio couch under the unnecessarily bright lights, he wished he'd taken Newton's suggestion.

The interviewer criticized everything from Newton's clothes to his kaiju research and now baited him on the jaeger program. "Are you telling me that you truly believe the jaeger program was worth the trillions of dollars spent and all of the lives lost?" he asked Newton in German.

Newton impatiently awaited the translation, then answered, "Yes! We saved the world, man!" It hadn't taken long for Newton to escalate to yelling. He didn't need a translator to understand condescension. 

"At what cost? Every centimeter of Pacific coast is uninhabitable for years to come because you detonated a thermonuclear bomb in the ocean. The world's food supply is radically and permanently altered, and you have no proof that the kaiju won't simply reopen the breach."

"Look, dude, we saved your ass. Wir deinen arsch gerettet! Comprende? If you want the math, Hermann here can give you the math!"

Hermann's frustration with this whole ridiculous interview misdirected itself at Newton, as it so often did. "I have asked you countless times to refer to me by my title in public! When we are alone together I will tolerate you calling me my my forename, but, for God's sake, especially on television, I ask you to show some respect and call me doctor!" He ignored Newton's stuttering response and the translator's struggle to keep up, turned to the interviewer and switched to German, "If you would like me to present you with the numbers, I have them with me. I can assure you with 97.3% accuracy that the breach is closed for good. As soon as I am able to go back to work instead of wasting my time on pointless, repetitive interviews, I intend to bring that figure up to 100%."

Newton switched from yelling at Hermann to cheering him on. Hermann wasn't sure if it was because he understood sufficient German to follow or if he just liked to hear Hermann chastise the interviewer, but Hermann allowed a small smile to cross his lips. Newton grinned wildly and said, "You tell him buddy!"

The interviewer glared at the two of them and asked in a caustic tone, "And what, _precisely_ , is the nature of your relationship?"

Hermann answered before the translator finished translating. He did _not_ want Newton answering that one. "We are colleagues. We were thrown together in a single laboratory as there was not enough money in the budget for us each to have our own."

Newton apparently understood more German than he spoke, as he immediately added, "Well, we're friends, too. We drifted together. That's a unique bond. Like soulmates." He looked to Hermann for conformation. 

The host, too, waited for Hermann's response, but before he could formulate any type of answer, someone behind him made a gesture and the show went to commercial. He sighed in relief. 

After the break, Ms. Mori and Mr. Becket came on the and the focus shifted. He remained silent until the show ended and his microphone was removed. 

Jennifer Bedi, the woman responsible for arranging their needs on this tour, approached him. "Dr. Gottlieb, I hope you don't mind, but the hotel is short on rooms so I've had to pair you with Dr. Geiszler."

"I'm sure we'll manage," he said in a forced polite tone. 

Today was not working in his favor.

***

Jennifer led the four of them- Newt, Hermann, Mako, and Raleigh- to their two hotel rooms. Newt hung back as the others went inside so he could talk to her alone.

"You told him there was a room shortage?" he asked.

"Yes, Newt, just like you asked me to."

"Was he suspicious?"

"Of a room shortage? Of course not. Frankly, I'm surprised we haven't had any actual shortages."

"Thanks, Jenny. I owe you one." He hugged her but pulled away quickly when Hermann stormed out of the room and into the hallway.

"Ms. Bedi, there is only one bed in that room."

"Really? That's odd. I specifically told them two beds. I'll go have a word with the manager. Go ahead and get settled for now. I'll be back later." She gave Newt a discreet wink as she walked away toward the lobby.

"C'mon, dude," Newt took Hermann's arm and steered him back into their room, "we can at least get showered and relax a bit while she sorts it out."

Newt's face hurt from the effort of suppressing a smile as he got a good look at the room. Jenny had gone all out. 

Newt had tried really hard to keep what happened between himself and Hermann a secret for Hermann's sake. He really did. He succeeded for almost an entire day. Then he got in a conversation with one of the techs. Then a few other people bought him drinks. Then Jenny asked how the tour was going last night and he made one little comment about how he hadn't been able to get any time alone with Hermann, you know, to work on science stuff. She asked what she could do to help. He mentioned maybe she could get them a single room with maybe one bed and maybe she could lie to Hermann about it. For science.

She set them up in some kind of honeymoon suite. Candles framed the king-sized bed. There was a jacuzzi _in the bedroom_. It was a room untouched by the apocalypse.

He nudged Hermann toward the bathroom. "Go take a shower. You'll feel better."

Hermann grumbled an agreement and hobbled into the bathroom, the stress of the day clearly visible in his gait. Newt waited until he heard the shower run for a minute or so, then stripped off his clothes, set his glasses on the dresser, and snuck silently into the bathroom. 

He smiled at Hermann's clothes folded neatly on top of the toilet lid and his cane hung on the towel rack. The room filled quickly with steam so Newt could just barely make out Hermann's shadow as it moved behind the shower curtain. He waited until Hermann's back was to him and then he stepped into the shower behind him. 

Hermann turned to reach for the shampoo, saw Newt, yelled and stumbled backwards, but managed to keep his footing. Newt never considered that his plan would be anything other than adorable and charming. 

Hermann glowered at him. "What are you doing, Newton?"

Newt felt and looked chagrined. "I, I was just trying to be cute."

Hermann smiled in spite of himself. "I suppose, since you're already here, I could use some assistance washing my back."

Newt beamed. "Glad to." He wrapped his arms around Hermann's wet torso and kissed him under the shower stream. Hermann leaned into him and rolled his hips, pressing his rapidly growing erection against Newt's own. 

He was tempted to drop to his knees right then and there. He wanted Hermann so bad it made his teeth ache. The past few days had been agony, but he wanted to make this last. It felt too good to stand here and just kiss him.

He rotated their bodies so he could reach the shampoo. He fumbled the bottle behind Hermann's back, unwilling to unwrap his arms from Hermann's body. He poured a small amount into his hands and vigorously lathered up Hermann's hair. He giggled at the exasperated look on Hermann's face. Hermann pulled his head away from Newt's hands and rinsed his hair. Newt, arms still around Hermann, rolled the bar of soap around in his hands and worked them across Hermann's back. Hermann moaned as Newt's fingers pressed into his lower back, so Newt braced himself against the wall and applied more pressure. Hermann leaned into him and grasped him tightly.

"I've got you," Newt whispered. He massaged the knots of tension above Hermann's hips, then slid his hands down and squeezed Hermann's perfectly round ass.

Water ran between their bodies. Hermann pressed so tight against Newt it made his cock throb. He shifted his hips just enough to grind his cock against Hermann's.

Hermann startled him when he reached between them and gripped Newt. He ran his thumb over his leaking head and slowly stroked up and down his length. Newt bit into Hermann's neck harder than he meant to and Hermann's grip tightened. Newt took one hand off of Hermann's ass and wrapped it around Hermann's impressive girth. He was surprised again that such a skinny man could have such a huge cock. 

Hermann looked down at Newt's hand. "You don't have to."

Newt ducked his head to meet Hermann's eyes. "Hermann, I _want_ to." He kissed him and came with their lips pressed together. He was momentarily embarrassed by how quickly he'd finished, but only a few short strokes later, Hermann grimaced and moaned his own orgasm into Newt's mouth. 

They clung to each other for several minutes, hardly noticing the water pouring over themselves. They slowly pulled partially apart and finished bathing. Hermann washed Newt's hair with a rare teeth-showing grin on his face. They rinsed off under the stream together. Hermann shut off the water while Newt pulled the towel off of the rack. He wrapped it around Hermann's shoulders and nuzzled into him. He stepped out first and offered a hand to Hermann. Hermann took it and stepped out onto the mat. Before Hermann could dress, Newt dragged him into the bedroom and climbed into bed.

"You're all wet," Hermann said, keeping his distance from the bed. 

"So are you. C'mon!" He pulled aside the blankets and patted the mattress.

Hermann sighed but apparently decided it was easier not to argue and climbed in next to him.

Newt snuggled close and was asleep before he even knew he was tired.

***

When Hermann awoke, Newton was still fast asleep with one arm draped over Hermann's chest. He closed his eyes again for a moment and breathed in Newton's scent. This moment was perfect; he didn't want it to end. 

But it had to, of course. He wriggled out from under Newton's tattooed arm, careful not to wake him. He sat up and admired Newton's perfect, naked body, watched him breathe in and out. He loved him, had loved him for quite some time, and that was not okay.

He got up and dressed. He wasn't comfortable with Newton seeing him nude in a passionate scenario and he _certainly_ wasn't going to let Newton see him in full morning sunlight. He watched himself in the full-length bathroom mirror as he pulled his pants on. He usually avoided his reflection, but he wanted to see what Newton saw. All he could see was his scarred, disproportionately thin leg and his pale, gangly frame.

Newton was handsome and self-confidant. He could have anyone he wanted. That he had chosen to share another night with Hermann was probably due exclusively to circumstance. Newton hadn't been any more excited about being stuck in a single room than Hermann had. In fact, Newton was probably more upset. Newton could have anyone he wanted. Newton wanted to be a rockstar so he became one. All Hermann wanted was a simple life with his numbers. 

Hermann spent most of his 36 years avoiding close relationships, especially intimate ones. He had gone on a couple of dates in college, but they did not go well. People usually became impatient with him when he couldn't keep up with them or when he missed social cues. He wasn't particularly handsome or outgoing. He spent most of his time alone and he had come to like it that way, thank you very much. 

He'd been upset when Pentecost forced him to share his laboratory with Newton. It was bad enough that he had to share his precious workspace with someone less fastidious than himself, but then he'd found himself immediately attracted to the tattooed, excitable, _annoying_ biologist. He worked hard to conceal those feelings and it made him even more short-tempered and argumentative than usual. It never once occurred to him that Newton might return those feelings. He was certain that the events of last night were simply another mistake.

He came out of the bathroom just as Newton woke up. Newton groped the empty side of the bed then opened his eyes and squinted, looking for Hermann. Hermann picked up Newton's glasses from where they'd been left on the dresser last night, and handed them to Newton.

Newton put them on and frowned up at Hermann. Hermann's heart raced. He thought maybe social protocol meant he should've left before Newton awoke, but when Newton spoke, he just sounded disappointed. "You're already dressed."

"It seemed prudent if I wanted breakfast."

"Oh."

"You might want to consider doing the same."

"Yeah. Okay."

Hermann politely turned his back as Newton rolled over and got up. He heard him go into the bathroom so he turned around and sat on the edge of the bed. 

He jumped at the knock at the door and slowly rose to answer it.

"Good morning, Dr. Gottlieb," Ms. Bedi said. "I wanted to let you and Newt know that we're heading back to Hong Kong today. The remainder of the tour has been postponed."

"For how long?"

"Indefinitely. There are some complications with the U.N. and we feel it's best to wait it out at the Shatterdome. Anyone who wants to keep their interview can come to Hong Kong."

Hermann nodded. "I will inform Dr. Geiszler."

She thanked him, then left. Hermann closed the door. _Good. If we're going back home then things will return to normalcy._ He would miss the intimacy with Newton, but Newton deserved to find someone better, another rockstar like himself. 

***

They were back at the Shatterdome for three whole days before Newt decided that he needed some advice. It seemed that unless he cornered Hermann and forced his affections, Hermann wouldn't give him the time of day. At first he thought Hermann was just shy, but now he wasn't so sure. The conviction he'd felt in the drift had faded significantly and he wondered if he hadn't imagined Hermann's feelings. 

He didn't know who else to go to, so he went to Raleigh. He hadn't fully gotten over his hero worship, but touring with Raleigh had humanized him a bit. Besides, Raleigh and Mako were clearly in love. It was adorable, even if it did make Newt a little jealous. Raleigh would have the answers.

So here he was, sitting in Raleigh and Mako's small living room, the room that had belonged to Pentecost only a short time ago, drinking a beer with his hero and explaining his complicated love life.

"You and Dr. Gottlieb?" Raleigh asked for at least the fifth time, still incredulous. 

"Yes. Again, yes. But it's like he's scared of me or embarrassed or something," Newt said.

"And you're sleeping together?" 

"Yes. But only twice and only when I initiate it. Then he avoids me for several days afterward."

"Do you love him?" Mako asked from the doorway.

Newt took a moment to wonder how long she'd been standing there and mentally replayed the last few minutes to make sure he hadn't said anything too humiliating. She arched an eyebrow impatiently, so he answered, "Yeah, of course I love him."

"Have you told him that?"

"Well, no, but I'm sure he knows."

"That's not good enough," she said as she entered the room and sat down between him and Raleigh. "You need to tell him _and_ show him."

"Like some grand romantic gesture?"

"It doesn't have to be big, it just has to be from the heart."

"Right, right, right, but I think bigger is better. More impressive. Thanks, guys." He was too lost in his scheming to even notice them as he left the room. 

He closed the door behind himself and heard Raleigh quietly ask Mako, "Newt and Hermann?"

"You didn't know? I thought everyone knew. They're so cute together!"

Newt sighed and mumbled to himself, "A grand romantic gesture . . ."

***

Hermann kept himself occupied in the laboratory. He could've done his math on paper or, more practically, on a computer, but he liked his giant chalkboard. Yet he was very aware of Newton's frequent absences. He assumed that Newton had met someone else and he tried to be happy for his friend. When Newton _was_ around, he was secretive and giggly. Hermann devoted his attention to mapping the Antiverse and checking and double checking every possible option to ensure that the breach would remain closed. 

He ate alone at a table in the cafeteria nearly two weeks after the tour ended when Newton sat down across from him. "Hermann, man, you got a minute? I gotta show you something."

Hermann set down his fork. "Okay. Show me."

"No, not here. Back at my place. Or yours. Somewhere private."

Hermann sighed but pushed his tray aside and said, "Fine." He stood and made a show of limping and leaning on his cane. Newton cleared his tray for him and ran back to his side, bouncing like a puppy. Hermann smiled in spite of himself. The enthusiasm was catching.

He led them back to his own quarters because he wanted to sit down and any seats in Newton's room were probably covered in dirty laundry and probably sticky with kaiju juice. He held the door for Newton and closed it behind himself. Newton stood in the center of the room. Hermann sat on the bed facing him. 

Newton grinned wildly and started to unfasten his trousers. 

"Honestly, Newton? This is hardly foreplay."

"Patience, dude. I have a surprise for you." He pulled his trousers down to his ankles, stood tall with his arms outstretched, and said, "Well? What do you think?"

It took Hermann a minute to notice that Newton had a fresh tattoo on his thigh. It took longer to register what it was of. It was a manga-style cartoon of a smiling man with a cane and a sweater vest standing in front of a large chalkboard. At the cartoon man's feet lay a dead cartoon kaiju. Underneath, in bold letters, the caption read, "HERMANN SAVES THE WORLD."

Hermann looked up at Newton, completely uncertain as to how he was supposed to react. All he managed to get out was, "Why?"

"Because I totally love you, Hermann. Like, with all my heart."

Hermann felt tears well up in his eyes. Again, all he could say was, "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why?' Because you're Hermann Fucking Gottlieb, that's why." He stepped up to the bed and tilted Hermann's chin up to look in his eyes. "You are the smartest, most handsome man I've ever met, other than myself, of course." They both laughed. Newton kissed Hermann's forehead, each cheek, then very softly on the lips. "I love you because you're you."

Hermann wrapped his arms around Newton's shoulders and pulled him down on top of himself. Hermann kissed big, sloppy kisses all over his face and neck. Then he sat up and patted Newton's hip. "Scoot up. I'd like to get a better look at this."

Newton grinned and scooched all the way onto the bed. "Be careful. It's still fresh."

Hermann traced his fingertips around the outside of the tattoo and smiled as Newton's skin twitched and his cock grew hard beneath the thin material of his boxer briefs. "It's beautiful, Newton. I love it."

Newton put a hand lightly on his arm. "You're going to give me a complex, man."

"What do you mean?"

"I come on to you, you avoid me. I say I love you, you say you love my tattoo. It's fine if you don't feel the same, really, but if you do, let me know 'cause I'm pretty insecure to begin with and this has not been easy on me."

Hermann frowned at him. Newton was the most secure person he knew. "Of course I love you, you idiot. You were inside my head. I've loved you for a very long time."

Newton beamed. "So maybe we can start eating breakfast together like a, you know, couple?"

"You're already jumping ahead to breakfast? I had hoped we could enjoy the present. I've never told anyone that I love them before _and_ your trousers are already mostly removed . . ."

"Oh, I can focus on the present!" He pushed Hermann onto his back and kissed him thoroughly. He pulled off Hermann's sweater vest and unbuttoned his shirt. 

Hermann didn't mind the button-up shirt coming off and he was mostly okay with the undershirt (although one of these days he would have to teach Newton how to fold laundry), but he stopped him once he undid his fly. It was daylight bright in his room. If Newton saw his leg like this, well, he just couldn't allow it. He was far too self-conscious and ashamed. 

***

Once again, Hermann stopped Newt when he tried to take off his pants. "C'mon, Hermann, it's nothing I haven't seen before."

"Not like this. Let me up so I can close the drapes, please."

Newt refused to budge. "Dr. Gottlieb, I love every single atom of your entire body. If we're going to do this whole relationship thing, you've got to get over your issues with your leg." He tugged off Hermann's pants and studied the offending limb. A large, purple scar ran the length of Hermann's thigh- from his hip down around his knee. Smaller scars covered his knee and ankle. Newt knelt next to him and ran his hands up Hermann's leg to his hip, feeling the infraction. Hermann's muscles tensed and he winced when Newt's hands brushed over his knee. He looked up at Hermann's face and saw his eyes were squeezed tight. Newt remembered being teased as a kid for his geekiness, his glasses, and his terrible acne. He could only imagine how much worse Hermann had it. He leaned in and kissed his thigh. In his periphery he saw Hermann open one eye. He met it. "And right now, I want you inside of me." He pulled Hermann's underwear down and licked the length of his cock like a popsicle. 

"Oh, Newton," Hermann moaned, sending chills down Newt's spine. "Come here. I want you."

"You have me." Newt pulled his own clothes off and tossed them on the floor, then grabbed his pants off the floor and pulled a condom and a small bottle of lube out of his pocket and dropped the pants again. He straddled Hermann and kissed his lips. He pulled back and rolled the condom onto Hermann's cock. He squeezed a generous amount of lube into his palm, rubbed his hands together, and stroked both hands up and down Hermann's length.

He positioned himself with Hermann's cock pressed against his opening but Hermann placed a hand on his cheek and stopped him. "Newton, there's no need to rush. Preparation is important." 

"It's okay. Really. Sometimes I like it a little rough." He slid down onto Hermann very slowly.

Hermann's breath caught in his throat, then he moaned until he was all the way inside of Newt. "Are you okay?" he asked as soon as he could draw a breath.

"Yeah. Oh yeah. I am very good. You?"

"You are very, very tight. Oh, you feel so good." He took a deep breath. "You can move whenever you're ready."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Newt moved, shakily at first, then he developed a slow, steady rhythm. He braced his hands against Hermann's shoulders to avoid placing too much weight on Hermann's bad leg. Hermann gripped his ass and directed his speed. He pulled him faster and faster, then brought one hand around and gripped Newt's cock a little tighter than was comfortable. Newt whimpered, but didn't tell him to ease up. 

"Hermann, I'm, I'm, _oh_!"

"It's okay, it's okay, just let it," Hermann whispered as he stroked him through his orgasm then brought his come-slick hand back to Newt's ass.

Newt leaned forward, pressed his lips against Hermann's and mumbled, "I love you so fucking much, Hermann."

"I love you, too, Newton, I love you, too."

Hermann bit Newt's lower lip as he came. Newt rocked hard back and forth. When Hermann's breathing calmed, Newt collapsed on top of him. He lay with his head on Hermann's chest while Hermann stroked his hair and kissed his forehead. He looked up at his friend- his _boyfriend_ \- through slightly askew glasses.

"We made a mess," Newt murmured, half-apologetic.

"It's okay. We can shower before we go to dinner," Hermann smiled up at him.

***

That evening, Hermann and Newton walked into the cafeteria hand in hand. Hermann was aware of the people sneaking glances at them, but he didn't mind. They got their trays and sat at an empty table together.

After a few minutes, Mr. Becket and Ms. Mori joined them. Mr. Becket clapped a hand on Newton's shoulder. Ms. Mori grinned at Hermann and said, "What do you think of Newt's new tattoo? I drew it for him."

Hermann blushed.

Newton answered for him, "He loves it." Newton leaned over the table and kissed his cheek.

"I love it," Hermann said, and smiled back at Newton.


End file.
